I'll have to say I don't mind this. I love these kinds of movies, hope they don't go away for a while. Haven't seen Saw, though I didn't realize that was based on a urban legend, and National Treasure looks decent, but I think the second category of "philosophy" movies is here to say, and with good reason. Two movies on that list (Dark City, Matrix) are extremely well-done and entertaining, while I haven't seen the other two. Also, I never really talked to anyone about my mind being hooked up to a computer. Alien abductions and how much our memory makes us who we are yeah, but never really thought about being hooked up to a computer mainframe. What's funny is the Matrix is on TBS right now, I'm actually listening to it in the background. Talk about a coincidence. But I like those movies. Even if they proport to be more than they really are, they do pose interesting answers to those old discussion questions, and they make you think about them afterwards, which I say is a virtue. I don't think that's a cliche at all.
Ok let me try to add to this.
11) The weird Frenchman - In any movie that in any way involves France, there is a very strange, funny, or in some way quirky Frenchman (The Patriot). I'm going to use a line by comedian Eddie Izzard about this. He says "There's always this French character saying 'Hello. My name is Pierre. I have come from France, I have come to have sex with your family.'" Now there is a new asshole Frenchman because, you know, we have the French, but those quirky Frenchman just lurk in the cinema, and get really annoying.
12) Parodies that use the Jaws Theme - SOO many parodies, when there is supposed to be a parody of a suspenseful moment, will just use that goddamn Jaws theme. Doesn't even have to involve a shark, they use it, they think it's funny. Maybe 10, 15, even 20 years after Jaws came out, it was funny, then amusing, then tolerable. Now it's just infuriating. Instead of using that, how bout actually thinking of a clever, funny parody scene?